Video: Wasabi, strawberry cheesecake, green tea, dark chocolate, sweet potato. What do these flavours have in common? They’re all Kit Kat varieties exclusive to Japan. But how did the crispy, break-associated candy get so popular there?
As Abroadin Japan explains, Nestlé saw huge sales of Kit Kats every January — the exact time Japanese student take their university entrance exams. It turns out Ki tKat sounds a lot like the kitto katsu which translates roughly to “to surely win”, a sort of good luck phrase students would say to one another before these exams.
Now Kit Kats in Japan come with space on the back to write messages of encouragement to their intended recipients, and they’re made in enough flavours to satisfy any stressed out tastebuds, the most recent iteration of which is saké.
Unlike other many other booze-themed chocolates, saké Kit Kats actually contain alcohol, although hardly enough (0.8 per cent) to have you singing Def Leppard on top of the bar.